Variable resistance distributed seismometer



Jan. 20, 1953 R, W, OLSON 2,626,381

VARIABLE RESISTANCE DISTRIBUTED SEISMOMETER Filed Jan. 27, 1948 aieri [1.7 0h01! mmwwwgyw Patented Jan. 20,y 1953 UNITED vvSTATES y.PAT-Elfi" OF FICE VARIABILE A"RESISTANCE, DISTRIBUTED SEISMOMETER :Robert W. 4Olson,;Dallas, Tex.,.assgnor to"Texas A.Instrunrients Incorporated;a -corporation `of Delaware Application AJanuary 27, 1948,5Seral'No. '4,598

minations to .be vmade therefrom Considerable success "has been achieved in this 'respect and lth'e vse'ismom'eters now'usedfare possessed'of very high sensitivity. Increases in the sensitivity-of A's'.e'ismometers, however, have introduced certain problems in -that the records which 'they make Vinclude lvarious extraneous vvand undesired data lproduced from .responses to ground waves `and surface noises which, in general, are horizontal waves moving through the crust of the-earth. These vground waves are vrecorded 'and rcan be 'confused with :the desired wavesifrom 'the-subv'.terrane.an-strata,`rendering'the record asia V.whole difficult .of interpretation.

rlvhus itis that in recent years Ivarious compositing and amplifying schemes l.have :been developed'for the .purpose of emphasizing thefdesired wavesf'from subterraneanfstrata andi-for Veliminating `or deemphasizing :as completely fas vpossible :the iundesired 'ground waves 'and surface snoises.

While "these :schemes and arrangements have lmet' withzasome success, in limited areas, they tend to increase the complexity, delicacy `and cost vof the seismograph system to a l considerableextent.

Accordingly, 4it yis aan-object of this invention 1:0.,provide an vextremely sensitive seismometer petroleum industry -hand which the "petroleunr1 .industry is anxious'to explore withfvaseismo'graph fsystem. Present "seismog'raph' systems, Ydue to vtheir"lack 'of're'solv'ing power, are-not suitable for :this exploration and it is "believed ^that vthe seismograph system 'hereinfdisclosed can Pbe used @to effectively :explore such -areas in view of the high degree of directional selectivity made possible thereby.

It contemplated, :according to the `present invention, to provide a rugged and simple lseis- 'conducto-r such .as carbon. lthat a protective sheathing I3 is provided for the lmometer of the variable impedance type whichr is characterized' yby a high degree of directional selectivity.

Other objects `anc'l advantages of the vinvention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed decription of a preferred nembodiment thereof in conjunction with the annexed drawings wherein:

Figure `1 is `-a schematic perspective view illustrating a recording oscillograph in circuit with a seismometer constructed in accordance with 'the teachings of the ypresent invention;

'Figure 2 is a verticalsectionalview of apor- 'tion oi one embodiment of the seismometer of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a :sectional'view` takenonline'B-S of Figure'2; and

Figure 4 is asectional view similar to Figure 3 but illustrating a modification of the vform of conductors which may Vbe utilized in the seisymometer of the present invention.

`Referring now iii-greater detail to the drawings, and in particular to Figures 2 and 3 thereof, the detecting :element vSi of the seismometer is comprised of a pair of flat ribbon conductors Illand iII separated and surrounded by a compressible rubber material I2 which is impregnated with evenly distributed particles of some `It is to be noted rubber-carbon material I2. 'This sheathing is `composed vof a iiexible, nonconductive material such as soft rubber, Yrubberized fabrics or the like. The conductors IIJ and II project from one lend of this sheathing so that they lmay be connected in a circuit.

Itis found that if a stable potential difference iis established between the conductor Ill and the conductor II, there is, under repose conditions, a flow of current between I I and I0 in accordance rwith the quotient of the applied potential chvided b-y the resistance of the material I2. It -is equally apparent that if .the `rubberzcarbon material I2 ris deformed its resistance will be changediandzthe current r'whichwill 'iiow through c it will vary.

Similarly 'the conductivity decreases upon expansion'of the rubber material I2 because ofthe increased :separation of the conductive particles. Thus the detectoril `is a variable resistor, theresistance of which yvaries fas a function'of the vdeformation-of the rubber-carbon material I2.

'The `foregoing discussion has relation solely to f .the characteristics :of .the :detecting element 1under a constant E. M. F. Actually, when subiected to a variable E. M. F., the impedance of the rubber-carbon material is changed as the material I2 is distorted and causes a change in the spacing between the carbon particles. Furthermore, under operating conditions the conductors I and II themselves move toward and away from one another and hence change the capacitance of the circuit in which they are connected.

If now the detector 9 comprised of the ccnductors I0 and II and the rubber material I2, is placed on the ground so that it is actuated by the many waves present in the earth, it is apparent that the waves impinging upon its surface will deform the rubber material I2 and cause a change in its impedance. If then the detector 9, which is diagrammatically represented in Figure 1 as a variable impedance, is connected in circuit with a potential source such as a battery 21 and a transformer primary I4, it is apparent that the selection of the susceptance of the ru'bber material I2 can be so made as to maintain under normal, non-shock conditions, a specied value of resistance. However, when the rubber material I2 is subjected to shock, and its resistance and reactance is varied, a current change will exist in the circuit including the detector 9, the potential source I3 and the primary I4 of an inductive coupling such that a secon-dary I5 of the coupling will be energized. The output from the secondary I5 is connected to an ampliiier I6 of conventional construction, and the output of this amplifier is impressed on a string galvanometer I7 including a base plate I8 and a spring I9. It is therefore apparent that the vibration of the string will be functionally related to the compressional waves which are changing the resistance and reactance of the rubber material I2 in the detector 9. Accordingly, it is necessary only to provide a light source 20, suitable lenses 2I, 22 and 23 and slots in the pole pieces 24 of the galvanometer to produce a visible record of the vibrations of the string, which record can be projected onto photographic film indicated at 25 to record a trace. Note that the nlm at 25 is moved in the direction of the arrow and that a timing wheel 26 is provided, the spokes of which intercept the light path between lenses 22 and 23 at predetermined intervals to project transverse timing lines on the film 25.

While the connections just described have related only t-o a single string which bears a reference numeral I1, it is apparent that a number of additional strings v2I, 28, 29 and 30 may be connected to detectors of the type shown in Figure 2 connected in circuits of the type shown in Figure 1. The several seismometers are distributed about the location to be prospected and each will respond to and record on the film 25 the compressional waves received by it.

Due to the fact that the detector 9 is elongated, it is quite apparent that if its length is selected as equal to the full wave lengh of ground disturbances, the full positive and negative half- Waves will be received concurrently and will produce a negative and positive deformation having an algebraic sum equal to zero. Thus the resistance and reactance of the detector 9 will not change and no current change will exist at the primary I4. This being the case, the several seismometers are so distributed on location as to lie in alignment radially of the shot point. Thus, each of them is in a position to receive a horizontal ground wave axially of the detector. The

seismometers are, of course, spaced apart from one another about the location and may lie on the same yor ldifferent radii of the shot point. The desired waves coming in at angles approaching a right angle to the long axis of the seismometer, are received thereby in such a way as to cause sequential compression and expansion of the rubber I2 throughout the length of the seismometer resulting in a change in the resistance thereof and the production of a signal which is amplied and impressed upon the appropriate string for recording on the tape 25.

While the foregoing description has been with reference to a seismometer according to the present invention having a length equal to the wave length of the desired signal, it is apparent that the selective effect or resolving power of the seismometer can be achieved by making it of any length equal to the product of the length of the undesired wave multiplied by a whole number.

The elongation of the seismometer and its horizontal disposition on the ground has an important resolving effect regardless of the length of the seismometer relative to the wave length of the undesired signals, This is apparent when it is borne in mind that random noises at ground level will come in at different frequencies and in various phase relationships relative to one another. Consequently, a large measure of ycancellation will occur in any elongate seismometer constructed according to the teachings of the present invention regardless of its length. The desired signals, on the other hand, tend to arrive in phase and consequently produce sharply distinguishable variations in the output of the seismometer.

While the invention has been described with respect to string galvanometers and a shadowtype timing wheel, it is apparent that mirror galvanometers and a shutter-type timing wheel can be used with the detectors of the present invention.

The foregoing description has not made reference to Figure 4. This gure in operation functions in the manner described in conjunction with the embodiment of Figures 2 and 3 and `differs from the embodiment of those figures only in that the conductors Illa and IIa are -cylindrical rather than flat or ribbon-like. In Figure 4 the carbon-impregnated rubber material is represented by reference character I2a and the sheath by reference character I3a. Material I2a and sheath I3a may correspond in structure and function to sheath I3 and material I2 respectively.

The cross sectional configuration of the seismometer is, of course, susceptible of variation, but the flattened cylinder illustrated in the drawings Vis advantageous because it is easy to.construct and serves to maintain the conductors in vertically spaced relationship during operation.

It will be understood that the resistance of the material I2 may be such that a current will flow in the circuit including the detector 9, the primary I 4, and the battery I3. Unless there isa change vin this current, no response by the secondary I5 will occur; Furthen it is understood i that the device herein illustrated in the form of What is claimed is:

In a system for the detection and recording of seismic waves that includes a series of seismom eters, a series of amplifiers connected to said seismometers to amplify the electrical outputs thereof, and a multiple recorder connected to said amplifiers to simultaneously record the outputs thereof, the improvement that comprises including in said combination seismometers that comprise a pair of elongated conductors spaced apart and held in substantial parallelism by a resilient compressible material, the conductivity of which varies with the amount of compression, said material being rubber impregnated with particles Ioi carbon, a sheath of nonconductive flexible material to envelop said conductors and said compressible material, one end of each of said conductors projecting from said sheath, said conductors being approximately equal in length to a whole number multiple of the Wave length of an undesired signal.

ROBERT W. OLSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 587,654 Enholm Aug. 3, 1897 2,044,080 Kemper June 16, 1936 2,138,310 Svenson Nov. 29, 1938 2,305,717 La Bell Dec. 22, 1942 2,340,772 McCarty Jan. 25, 1944 2,354,548 Rieker July 25, 1944 2,354,659 Buzhaw et al Aug. 1, 1944 2,364,209 Green Dec. 5, 1944 2,394,900 Eisler et al Feb. 19, 1946 2,424,561 Edwards et al July 29, 1947 2,445,660 Bruestle July 20, 1948 2,471,601 Albright May 31, 1949 2,472,214 Hurvi-tz June 7, 1949 2,499,605 Nicolson Mar. 7, 1950 2,548,947 Clewell Apr. 17, 1951 

